Beacons, such as BLUETOOTH Low Energy (BLE) beacons, operate by broadcasting a periodic wireless beacon signal. The beacon signal carries a code that is associated with the beacon that emitted it. A location-based service can determine the approximate location of a receiving device by determining whether the receiving device is capable of receiving the wireless signal. That is, if the receiving device is capable of receiving the wireless signal, it is presumed to exist in close proximity to the beacon that emitted it.
A device consumes a relatively large amount of power when sending or detecting wireless beacon signals. In many cases, such a device uses a battery power source. The broadcast and detection of beacon signals can therefore rapidly deplete the power supply of a device, rendering it inoperable.